


Silly Yearnings of the Heart

by Mystery_Name



Category: Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon 2012)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, But Spider-Man sure as hell does, Complete, Drunk Character, Drunk love confessions, Flash Thompson doesn't drink, Flirting, Harry and MJ are good friends, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Self-Esteem Issues, Spidey is a silly drunk, SpideyFlash - Freeform, Yearning, he has no filter, lets talk about FEELINGS, silly characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28961484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystery_Name/pseuds/Mystery_Name
Summary: After a battle, Flash Thompson finds himself at Avengers Tower for a victory party. Feeling intimidated by so many other heroes, he sticks to the back of the room and keeps to himself, with nothing but Venom to keep him company.That is until a tottering, drunk Spider-Man joins him and he has some words he wants to share with Flash.
Relationships: Flash Thompson/Peter Parker, Peter Parker/Flash Thompson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 81





	1. Confessions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neverweremine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverweremine/gifts).



> For Noone. Got it posted by end of January, as promised!
> 
> Decided I didn't have to challenge myself and split the one-shot into two parts. Part 2 is already written, it just needs to be edited.

Another battle won.

 _Thank goodness_.

That was the fourth one this month and it had been a doozy.

When Flash signed on to become a SHIELD agent, and by extension a ' _superhero_ ,' he already figured there'd be a lot of fighting involved - it came with the costume, so to speak. But he wildly underestimated just how often that would be. It was hard enough being an instructor at SHIELD Academy now - thus his every waking hour was filled with training bots, costume emergencies, and villains getting a little too cocky - but being an instructor _and_ a field operative at the same time was nigh impossible. On good days, he went straight from teaching classes to bed, too tired to go out patrolling. On bad days, he fell asleep right there on his desk.

Which was a shame because there's a certain someone he's been trying to get some alone time with, and he couldn't do that when he was dozing off every time his body stepped outside the Triskelion.

On the bright side, when there were big battles like the one they just had, it attracted the Avenger's attention, so not only did it take a load off Flash's plate but he also got to use it as a learningexperience for his students - which was still such a weird concept to think about. Him? Have students? The most he's ever done was lead a high school football team to the championships.

To think, he thought the craziest his life was going to get was bonding to a symbiote created from the blood of one of his closest friends. Life has a way of breaking your expectations.

Anyway, with the Avengers taking the brunt of the attack, Flash got to use it as a lesson and exercise for his class, which was _great_ because now he didn't have to plan a discussion for next week. Hell, he'd even been able to step back from the battle to survey his students and point out and address errors that they could meet up later at the Triskelion to address.

He liked to imagine himself as a coach watching his team during a game and picking out ways to improve their performance for next time - at least with this mindset, he wasn't focusing too much on how overwhelming his job was. Ben liked to joke that he couldn't handle the responsibility of being an instructor, but Flash didn't think he was doing so bad.

In fact, not to toot his own horn, but he thought he was doing rather well.

The battle was over now. It had been a semi-large invasion of strange, blob-like creatures from outer space that wanted to use Earth as their mating ground, or so Flash heard. The blob-creatures weren't necessarily hard to fight, but what they lacked in battle prowess they made up for in numbers. There were _thousands_ of them - so much so that they had to evacuate half of the city to get civilians out of the way.

It had taken most of the day to fight them off, and several hours into the night to finish scouring the streets for stragglers before the battle was officially called off and the heroes dispersed. Instead of going to their homes or bases though, they congregated at Avengers Tower for a little celebratory party, as _"the night is still young and we have booze!_ " - it was Tony Stark's idea, if that wasn't obvious.

Which is where Flash found himself now (Hey, when _Tony Stark_ invited you to Avengers Tower, you didn't turn it down). He was given a glass of whatever expensive alcohol Stark was serving and quietly found himself a nice little corner to sit and watch the proceedings in.

He wasn't used to spending parties like this. Back in high school he was always in the middle of it, laughing and being rowdy with his football pals, feeling like the King of the world - at least until he got home.

But here? He felt like the new kid. The odd one out. He didn't know anybody in the superhero community very well, outside of the graduated Academy students, and while he was known for being rather extroverted in personality, these were _heroes_ he was bumping elbows with. Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, Captain Marvel - legends that didn't know Flash, the guy in the corner who was bonded to a clingy slimeball, even existed.

He was intimidated, alright. It was hard attempting a normal conversation with the likes of She-Hulk and Ghost Rider without his inner-fanboy leaking all over the place. He would rather throw himself into a pile of horny blob-creatures than _embarrass_ himself in front of them. Which is why he was perfectly fine nesting in his corner and pretending to sip at a drink that he didn't even want.

It worked out. It gave him a nice vantage point to watch the person his eyes kept drawing to.

The flash of red and blue that bobbed through the crowd had his head turning to seek it out through sheer muscle memory. After years of searching for that costume among buildings and in shaky video footage, it was second nature to turn to its owner whenever he was in proximity to him.

It was funny, where Flash was awkward and unsure in the presence of other heroes, Peter Parker was confident and chatty. He hopped from legend to legend with a quip to exchange and a laugh to follow, mask pulled up to his nose to sip at whatever he'd been given. He seemed to know _everyone_ which was astounding because Flash didn't know Spider-Man met more than half of the people in this room. Then again, Peter had yet to divulge all his Spider-Man stories to him, and despite the Bugle's best effort, they couldn't always catch what the wall-crawler was up to - especially if he didn't want to be seen.

It was amazing to think that Peter Parker was under that mask. Small, mousey, geeky Peter Parker, who always stuck to the background at Midtown and kept his nose buried in whatever book he had in hand - most of them science based. Flash would know, he's snatched quite a few of them back in the day.

He was equal-parts amused and bewildered to realize that their positions had become reversed. Whenever Flash happened to see Peter at a party, in the rare occasion that he showed up with Harry and MJ, he was always stuck in a corner, sipping on some water and either people-watching or playing on his phone. Now it was Flash watching from the outside while Peter gallivanted among their peers, laughing and chatting as if they were all friends. Maybe they were.

He'd admit it, he was a little jealous. He wished he could go up to Captain America, make a joke, and have the legendary hero laugh and clap him on the shoulder. He wished he could be buddy-buddy with the Hulk and tease Hawkeye without feeling _this_ close to peeing his pants through nerves.

Jeez, not even the National Basketball Tournament was this nerve-wracking.

Flash felt the symbiote grow from the black padding of his shoulder, like a weird inky worm, and butt itself against his face gently. It's own way of showing comfort. Flash smiled and rubbed the top of its head.

"I'm alright," he said, eyes still lingering on Spider-Man. "Just thinking."

The symbiote hummed in his head and Flash knew it was watching Peter now too.

Ever since it's first escape from Doctor Octopus all those years ago, the symbiote had become more silent in its verbal conversations other than hisses or growls. Flash remembered the first time he'd seen Venom, during that party Harry Osborn threw. It talked then. Mimicked him when he called Peter a "nerd." But Flash couldn't recall it ever speaking like that again, not without a host - granted he wasn't exactly present throughout all of its history, but even when it bonded with him and they joined the Academy, the symbiote didn't like to verbally talk.

It talked to Flash, of course, but that was through shared thoughts and emotions. When Flash asked it about that, the symbiote was hesitant to share that ever since first interaction with Peter and his team, it didn't feel comfortable talking. It remained silent, trying not to draw attention to itself.

Then it bonded with Harry and through their combined grief and emotions, the "villain" Venom was formed and the symbiote was rejected once again. Then it was manipulated and abused by Goblin for his own bidding, and then again by Loki to take over the world, and then pieces of it were taken and turned into a different symbiote, so it wasn't exactly fond of trying to get to know people.

The symbiote admitted that it had been angry and vengeful in its neglect, and not all of its actions had been entirely the fault of its host, but by the time Loki had used it, the symbiote was just tired of all the hate and abuse and wanted to be left alone.

It was a relief to the both of them when they found each other.

Flash couldn't fault Peter, nor Spider-Man, for his actions against the symbiote. He hadn't understood it the way Flash does. Hell, after it had taken Flash over the first time, he had nightmares for weeks afterwards because it was _terrifying._ Spider-Man had spent years fighting off the symbiote, having it used against him and his family and constantly feeling threatened by its presence.

They used to have a hard time getting along. During early training exercises, Flash knew Spider-Man didn't like working with him because of the symbiote, and vice versa the symbiote got a lot more aggressive and violent during their one-on-one sparring sessions. Flash couldn't bring himself to fault either of them and played mediator.

But he and the symbiote were bonded now. They were one, in mind and body, and no one shared such an intimate link as they did. He'd fight for the symbiote if it came down to that. But Flash couldn't deny the way his heart danced in his chest whenever Spider-Man entered the room, or the way he started seeking Peter out in a crowd.

It was...confusing.

 **What is so confusing about it,** the symbiote asked and Flash distracted himself from the question by taking an actual sip of his drink. His nose wrinkled at the taste of alcohol. **We have had many hosts. We have tasted this feeling before.**

"You can't taste feelings," Flash said over the rim of glass, staring sourly down at the amber liquid. Was this scotch? "Not like it matters, anyway" he grumbled, "Even if I did...look, he's not going to feel the same way about me."

**How do we know?**

"Uh, because I bullied him," Flash stressed, "For _years._ Constantly picking on him and pushing him around. Even if I told him, it's not like he's just going to _forget_ everything I ever did to him. It doesn't work that way, V."

 **We won't know unless we ask,** Venom pointed out, and Flash glowered.

"I'm not gonna ask."

**Why not?**

"Because it'll just be weird. He's not going to feel the same way about me. There's no point in ruining the relationship we have and making things awkward between us again."

 **We don't know unless we try,** Venom repeated.

Flash frowned, pushing Venom away with his finger, "Since when did you start giving out life advice?"

**We are just trying to help host.**

"I appreciate the thought, buddy," Flash said, tipping his head back and throwing the remainder of the drink down his throat. He slammed the cup down with a loud hiss, face pinching from the burn. He's never really liked alcohol. "But believe me, nothing is going to happen between me and Peter. The sooner I accept that and get over these feelings, the better."

Venom didn't say anything, merely hummed as Flash's eyes sought out Peter in the crowd once more.

* * *

The party was going well into the night and Flash was getting tired.

He thought about trying to get drunk, but despite what his peers thought, he wasn't much of a drinker. He had a lot of bad memories associated with alcohol and he wasn't quite friendly with the idea of getting wasted.

He hung around the party to associate with friends and have an excuse not to go back to his lonely apartment. He could always sleep at the Academy, as all teachers and staff had room and board there, but he talked it over with Fury and got himself an apartment so he still had some semblance of being a normal person. He never thought that would be a problem when he started training with SHIELD, but years into it, and he liked being able to walk down the street and pretend he was another citizen going about their day. Having his own place was nice and it was somewhere he could go where it was just him.

Sometimes it was just him a little TOO often.

He was out on the balcony now, nursing a cup of water so people didn't keep asking if he needed a drink, and sipping it lightly as he debated whether or not he should call it a night or stick it out a few more hours, when a body slumped next to him.

Spider-Man was half-way leaning against the railing and half drooping off of it. Flash went out here because he wanted some fresh air and he hadn't been expecting guests, but his heart beat a little faster as he recognized him. He did his damn hardest to ignore it though as he helped Spider-Man back to his feet.

"Whoa, hey, you good Spidey?"

Spider-Man hummed, swaying on his feet. He looked one gust away from falling over, and Flash looked him over carefully, "Are you...are you drunk?"

"Mmmaybe," Spider-Man slurred, pressing a finger to Flash's lips, "Shhh, don't tell anyone, alright."

Flash gently removed the finger and ignored the way his skin tingled with the warmth it left behind. "I thought you couldn't get drunk."

Spider-Man leaned forward as if to tell a secret, but he only ended up slumping against Flash's body, and after a surprised ' _oomph,"_ and a questioning "hmm?" he melted into it like a cat.

"Thor brought some Asgard liquor," he mumbled into Flash's shoulder, and made a lazy ' _perfection_ ' sign, "That shit is the SHIT."

"Sounds like it."

Spider-Man lifted his head, resting his chin on the top of Flash's chest as he peered up at him, "Do you want to try it?"

"Uh..." Flash grimaced, "No. No, thank you, I'm good."

"Hmmm...," Spider-Man dropped his head again, "Okay. Your loss."

He didn't seem inclined to remove himself from Flash's body, so Flash gingerly grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him back up. Spider-Man made a noise and leaned in as if to sink back into his spot as he groaned, "Waaaarm," but Flash didn't think he'd be so forward if he weren't orbiting Jupiter at the moment.

Besides, his heart was beating so quickly, it wouldn't be a surprise if Peter could feel it through their clothes.

"Easy," Flash laughed, propping him against the balcony where he slumped once more, hand dangling over the railing as his head lolled from side to side when he tried balancing it on the ledge. "I think you had a little too much to drink."

"What?" Spider-Man turned his head sharply and jerked back up, so quickly it made him stumble and he would have fell backwards if not for grabbing Flash by the arm last minute. "No, I'm fine. _I'm fiiiine._ M'not even drunk, who told you that."

Flash fought to keep his smile down as he steadied the other man, "You did."

The lenses of Spider-Man's mask expanded and retracted in a skeptical way that looked downright comical and Flash suppressed his laugh through a cough.

"M'not drunk, just a little...just a little..." Spider-Man's sentence tapered off and his lenses widened as he stared at Flash's arm. "Man, did you put yourself through a shredder? Because you are _ripped_." He leaned closer, hands curling around Flash's upper arm, "Can I feel your biceps?"

" _What?"_

"Oh, sorry, can I _pleeeeease_ feel your biceps?"

Flash flushed and Venom laughed in his head. "I'm not sure if you-" he started, but Venom was quicker and uncurled itself around his arm, revealing his bare skin to the cool night air. Spider-Man made a tiny gasp, and then an excited squee as he wrapped both hands around it with wide-eyed wonder.

"Wow," he whispered in awe.

 _The hell?_ Flash whisper-shrieked in his head, and he could feel Venom's shrug.

**Host needs a little help.**

_Not like THIS._

**Why not? He is enjoying it.**

Flash looked back to Spider-Man, who did in fact look like he was having the time of his life running his hands up and down the dips and swells of Flash's biceps.

"How do you get them this big?" he wondered out loud, and then his voice turned into a pout, "I can never get my arms this big."

"Your arms are great," Flash said before he could stop himself, and if blood kept rushing to his face like this he was going to have to go to the medbay to get checked out because it couldn't be healthy.

Spider-Man didn't notice. He lifted his arms and flexed them, looking between Flash's and his own. Flash couldn't help but follow the hard outlines of the man's muscles, even in spandex they were clearly visible. It's true that they weren't as big as Flash's, but they were still impressive, and Flash's mouth went very dry as Spider-Man flexed and unflexed them. He took a long drink from his glass.

"They're not as cool," Spider-Man decided, dropping his arms and slouching his shoulders. His grumpiness lasted a whopping 5 seconds before he was surging forward, wrapping his arms around Flash's neck, and pushing their faces so close together they were mere inches apart. Flash made an embarrassing noise in the back of his throat and had to grab Spider-Man by the waist to balance them out as he was pushed against the balcony guardrail.

"Teach me how to get a rockin bod like yours?" Spider-Man asked and Flash's heart was beating so fast there's no way it couldn't be heard. The press of Peter's body against his own was intoxicating and Flash wonders if it's possible to get drunk on another person's body heat.

He couldn't speak words and nothing but untethered letters flew from his mouth before he managed to sputter out, "Wha - why are - I- I mean, you...your body is rocking too."

Venom was laughing harder now.

Flash told it to shut up.

Spider-Man chuckled, his lenses retracting into a happy squint. "Why'r so sweet to me?" he slurred, "Like…the sweetest, always saying nice things about me and calling me cool. I'm not _cool_. Do you know who I am?" if he weren't so close, he would've leaned in further as he whispered, "I'm Peter Parker. I'm a fucking _dweeb._ But don't tell anyone okay. No one can know."

The laugh that burst from Flash's chest was amused and breathy and he was feeling oddly light-headed, "I won't, I promise. Your secret is safe with me. But just between you and me," he leaned in to whisper, "Peter Parker is pretty cool in my book."

Spider-Man gasped, soft and small. "Really?"

"Really."

"For _really_ really?"

"For really, really, _really._ "

He tilted his head as he regarded Flash, moving it up and down as he looked the bigger man over carefully, as if judging his words through body language. The longer the silence stretched, the more the butterflies in his belly started to swarm, and Flash was about to ask him what he was doing when Spider-Man blurted out, "Can I kiss you?"

It was in that moment that Flash's brain committed suicide. It jumped over the ledge, and if he still didn't have his hands full of one Spider-Man, he might've followed. Venom was chanting, **Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss,** in his head, but words had been cut off from Flash's brain and all he could do was stare as Spider-Man tilted his head, waiting for an answer.

When it became obvious that the silence was going on far too long, Flash shook his head and opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to shake the gears back into place similar to someone smacking a staticing TV until it started playing again. "I'm – I - you – what? Kiss…me?"

Spider-Man nodded, leaning directly onto Flash's body now. Intently. His body was warm. Venom usually acted as a barrier between Flash and outside temperatures, even against other people and their body heat, to keep him at a suitable temperature. He wondered if it was allowing Peter's body heat to seep through just to screw with him.

"Can I kiss you, pretty please? With a cherry on top?" Spider-Man asked again, and Flash's brain was on a spiraling descent that matched an **ERROR ERROR** code on a computer.

"Wha – why do you want to?"

Spider-Man laughed as if he were being silly, "Because," he said, bopping Flash's nose, "You're hot as hell. And you're, like, the coolest person I've known _ever_. And you're always so nice to me – well when you stopped being a bully. You were pretty mean then. But you're so nice now and I like you sooooooo much, and MJ has been telling me to just ask you out already, but that's scary. But you were out here being so nice again, and you've been by yourself at the party alllll night, and you looked so lonely, and I wanted to come talk to you, and then you were being nice and sweet to me again, and can I _pleaase_ kiss you? I'll let you kiss me back if you want."

There were so many words overloading Flash's brain he couldn't sort through them all at once. He grabbed Spider-Man's wrists and unwound them from around his neck and eased Spider-Man's body away, putting a good, solid distance between them. If not for Spider-Man's sake, then for his own.

Spider-Man held out his hands, as if to return, but Flash pushed them back to his own chest. "No, no, stop that. You...stay over there. Come on, Spidey. You – that's just – that doesn't make any sense. You just-"

Spider-Man went very still, mask lenses wide and confused. Then his shoulders slumped, "You…don't like me back, do you?" he mumbled, and turned away, suddenly upset, "I knew it. I _knew_ it. Stupid MJ and her stupid advice, this was stupid, stupid, stupid."

"What? No, _no_ -" Flash stepped forward, hands out to grab him, but inches from making contact he hesitated and retracted them again, "No, Spidey, I like you. I do, I promise. But –" he rubbed a hard hand over his face, "Oh this is…okay, um," he grabbed Spider-Man's shoulders, very softly, and turned the man around so they were face-to-face, but kept that distance between them, even though he already missed the press of the other man's body. "I do like you. I do."

"Only as a friend," Spider-Man said, looking down.

"No, I –" why were words so hard to articulate? "I – I do like you. _Like_ like you. For a while now, but – um, we haven't – I used to be – I just…don't think you actually….look, Webs, your drunk right now and probably just looking for someone to spend the night with. I know you don't mean any harm by it, and, _fuck,_ I wish you weren't drunk when you're asking me, because I'd love to –" he paused, and cleared this throat, "I just…don't think this is a good time, alright?"

"But…" Spider-Man tilted his head again, as if trying to sort through Flash's word-vomit, "But…you do like me?"

"Yes," Flash confirmed with a solid nod.

"Then what's wrong?" Spider-Man asked, stepping forward again, hand out as if to grab Flash. Flash snatched it before it could make contact and used it to keep Spider-Man from leaning into him again.

"What's wrong is that you're not thinking straight," Flash sighed, "You're drunk, so you probably don't even-" he sighed again, looking at him sadly, "Come on, let's get you home, Webs."

Spider-Man seemed confused, but allowed Flash to grab him by the hand and guide him away from the balcony. "But..." he said, pausing to think and Flash could imagine his lips pursing in the way they did when he was thinking about something he didn't understand. "So why don't you want to kiss me."

"This isn't consensual, Spidey."

"But I want to."

"But you're also drunk."

"I'm not that drunk."

Flash eyed the way his legs wobbled and tripped over themselves. If not for the fact that he was holding him upright, Spider-Man probably would've hit the door leading into the building. "Well, you're definitely not clear-headed," he argued.

"But I'd want to kiss you even if I _didn't_ try Asgard juice."

"Asgard juice," Flash mumbled, rolling his eyes, "This is exactly what I'm talking about."

He found MJ. She was still in her Spider-Woman outfit and was talking with Captain Marvel. When she saw Flash and Spider-Man heading toward her, she sat up straighter and Flash could tell she was zeroing in on the way Spider-Man was tottering behind him.

"Drunk?" She asked when they were in hearing distance.

"Very." Flash said.

"Asgardian liquor."

"Oh yeah."

She sighed, "Told him not to do it, but does he ever listen to me."

Spider-Man bumped into Flash's shoulder as they stopped and when he recognized the person they were standing in front of, his lenses narrowed and he pointed an accusing finger at her, "Your advice is shit."

MJ arched an eyebrow at him, "Excuse me?"

"You're advice. Tried it. Didn't work. He doesn't want to kiss me."

MJ looked confused for a solid 5 seconds, before the dots connected and she pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head in disappointment, "Oh, you dum-dum."

"Look, I'm just going to take him home," Flash said, not wanting to know what they were talking about. "Just wanted to let someone know so they didn't freak out when they can't find him."

"He almost fell out of the building, didn't he?"

"Off the balcony, and yes. Several times."

"I can help," she offered, standing up, but Flash held up a hand.

"No, it's okay. I don't want to interrupt," he glanced at Captain Marvel, who was watching them in amusement, Spider-Man especially when he started tapping the tip of his finger on the spikes of Flash's shoulder pads and muttering, "Amazing."

Venom softened the tops so he was less likely to actually prick himself and Flash sent an inward thanks. MJ looked at him more closely but smiled at whatever she saw and sat back down. "Alright, I'm guessing you know where his apartment is."

"Yeah."

"He keeps his key in his boot, but if it's not there, another should be on top of the doorway."

Flash gave her a look, "The doorway?"

"Yeah, I told him it was a stupid place to put it."

Flash rolled his eyes but adjusted his grip on Spider-Man, who was now drooping over his shoulders and back, contently nuzzling into his neck and Flash was grateful Venom had covered his face again because his blush was creeping up his face at alarming rates.

"Come on, Webs," he said, gently easing him onto his own two feet. When Spider-Man swayed like he was going to fall, Flash adjusted by pulling one of Spider-Man's arms over his shoulder and supporting most of his body weight.

"W're we goin?" Spider-Man slurred, "Goin on an adventure?"

"No, we're going home so you can go to bed."

Spider-Man scoffed, "That's not fun. You're no fun. Let's break into the Raft and make fun of the Frightful Four. I think Electro's in there too."

"We are not breaking into a villain prison, Webs."

"No one will know."

"Believe me, they'll know."

* * *

Getting him back to his apartment was more of a struggle than he anticipated.

Flash figured they could get a cab to take them halfway there, and then change into civvies and either walk or swing the rest of the way, but it was becoming increasingly obvious just how drunk Spider-Man was. He couldn't undress himself and get in his civvies without causing too much of a ruckus, and Flash was blushing all kinds of red at the mere thought of undressing the other man, so their costumes stayed.

The cabby who picked them up ended up being a hack and charged him more than he should've with the excuse that driving superheroes was extra dangerous and came with a _putting-themselves-at-risk_ fee. Flash all but threw the money at the guy and slammed the door shut, muttering a few choice words under his breath. Spider-Man didn't seem fazed by the ride or that Flash had spent a decent chunk of his leisure money on their cab fare, and was trying to climb the street pole on the corner. He couldn't get his feet to stop falling over each other though and kept sliding down, drawing attention from curious bystanders, so Flash jogged up to him and eased him back on the sidewalk.

"M'trying to-" Spider-Man mumbled, voice narrowed in concentration, but Flash urged him into the closest deserted alleyway.

"Oh," he looked around the alley with wide, expectant eyes, "What are we doing in here."

"We are going to climb this building and get you home," Flash answered, pulling down the creaking ladder to the firescape. Spider-Man didn't look functional enough to climb a wall and Flash was prepared to help him up the fire escape, where at least both of his feet would still be upside right.

It wasn't as annoying as he thought it would be though. Spider-Man was very eccentric when he was drunk. Yes, he's always been an eccentric person, but any filter he might've had before was in tatters. He spun around the bars, moved his arms to animate his points, and lost all control of his tone and vocal range.

More than once Flash had to shush him through suppressed laughter, which only encouraged him in the long run. Eventually, he managed to get the other man to quiet down so they could webswing to his building. Spider-Man was in no condition to swing himself that wouldn't end in colliding with a billboard, so the only alternative they had was piggybacking.

Flash dutifully ignored the weight of Spider-Man tucked against his back, but it was a hard task to do. He wrapped his arms and legs around Flash's waist and torso, and nestled his head in the crook of Flashs shoulder and neck. The ride over was the quietest Spider-Man had been all night and by the time they were touching down on Peter's building, Flash was almost certain the other man had fallen asleep.

But when they landed, Spider-Man stubbornly burrowed into him before unwinding himself.

"Can't we go again?" He moped, "You're so warm."

"Maybe some other time," Flash said, if just to placate him and led him down the side of the building. Thankfully, Peter's window faced the brick-side of another building so there would be no peeping tom's watching him go to-and-fro from his apartment. Still, Flash kept an eye on all the shadows and streets just in case.

Spider-Man flopped through the window, caught his foot on the window-sill and plummeted to the ground with a loud _OOMPH._ His leg wacked the table-stand nearby and it fell over with a crash, and Flash winced giving the area outside a quick glance, but it didn't look like anyone noticed. He smoothly stepped inside and slid the window shut, latching it for good measure because you could never be too careful in New York.

Spider-Man was still lying on the floor. He was starting to come down from his high, maybe because he was home now, as he didn't look inclined to pick himself up. Flash grabbed him and eased him back to his feet.

"Come on, Pete, we're almost there."

Peter's head lulled to the side to look at him. His mask was skewamper on his face, and he swung an arm around him and pressed a finger to Flash's lips, "Shhhhhhhh, you'll wake me up."

Flash smiled against the finger, "Sorry, I'll be more quiet."

"Thank you."

He helped Spider-Man through his cluttered apartment and into his even more cluttered room. It was a mess of discarded clothes, walls taped with pictures of villains and local gangs he was looking into, and a desk shoved in the corner that was overflowing with gadgets, webshooter designs, and pieces of tech that he was working on.

"You seriously need to clean up in here," Flash muttered. Peter flopped on the bed and immediately bunched his arms into the blankets and pillows and burrowed into them with a content sigh. Flash was tempted to leave him like that, but it wasn't comfortable sleeping with a mask on. In fact, Peter was at risk of suffocating, so he curled his fingers under it and slipped it off.

It tugged and stretched as it was pulled off, but Peter took a deep inhale once freed and tucked his cheek farther into the pillow. Flash examined his face.

He'd gotten a cut on his forehead during the battle, that had been taped up, and there was a massive bruise on the underside of his jaw, but otherwise, he was unharmed. Gently, Flash swiped Peter's bangs out of his face and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept. His fingers glided down the expanse of his cheek and across his jawline which had sharpened so much from the baby-fat he'd had during high school. It was...a startling change. Flash wondered when it happened.

When had Peter gone from the oval-faced, goofy-looking kid he used to stuff in lockers, to this handsome, sharp-jawed, superhero who could out bench press Flash any day of the week.

Realizing what he was doing, Flash jerked his hand away as if he'd burned himself, and backed up. What was he doing here? What was he thinking? Just the reminder of what he'd used to do to Peter made guilt swallow him from head to toe.

He didn't deserve to touch him. He missed any sort of chance he had at running his fingers along Peter's skin, or through his messy mask hair, and it was his own fault. He knew that. He carried it with him everytime he was in the same room as Peter.

 _"I like you,"_ Spider-Man had said. " _LIKE you, like you."_

Had he meant it?

 **Maybe he did,** Venom murmured.

Flash shook his head. He wasn't going to allow himself the luxury of hope. Peter was drunk. He did not have any endurance for alcohol, as he normally couldn't get drunk, so anything that can affect him was going to affect him HARD. Flash has seen what alcohol can do to a person's head. What it does to their perceptions and moods, and while he doesn't understand how Peter came to the mindset he was in, he knew that he wasn't in his right mind.

Peter couldn't like him. Not like that. As teammates maybe, and as a friend at most. But something more? Something _romantic?_ No, that was just setting him up for a broken heart. Peter had a lot more game than Flash would ever care to admit, and he could probably get any guy or girl he wanted if he applied himself. Why would he go for the person who'd given him wedgies in 5th grade and made it a personal goal to stuff him into as many lockers as possible?

Flash was kidding himself and Peter was drunk. Nothing he said held any real meaning.

His heart was spilling on the floor, aching with splinters and yearning, but he pulled the covers over Peter and tucked him in. He gave the man a final wistful look, before carefully closing the door behind him. He tidied up Peter's living room and kitchen and set out Tylenol and a glass of water for when he woke up, before leaving.

Venom turned into a pair of dark jeans and a black shirt, and Flash left through the building entrance, walking down the street with his head down and his hands stuffed in his pockets.


	2. A Much Needed Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aye! I did! Next chapter posted and it hasn't even been 24 hours yet.

Flash avoided Peter for the next week. He would've felt bad about it if he wasn't positive Peter was doing the same.

But it worked out mostly, seeing how Flash was an instructor for the Academy and Peter had long since graduated and only ever came to the Triskelion when he was dropping off a report or going on a special SHIELD mission.

But still, they avoided any possible interactions with each other. Flash didn't even take his class out for their weekly city patrol, too afraid of running into one red-and-blue clad arachnid.

He wasn't sure how much Peter remembered from that night, but it was enough for Peter to get all stiff and awkward whenever he and Flash were in proximity of each other. Eye contact was a no-go, and if they needed to speak it was the briefest of sentences, until one of them inevitably broke and left the room.

Honestly, Flash couldn't blame him. Peter was probably very embarrassed that he'd gotten wasted, and confessing his (fake) love for Flash was probably salt on the wound. The awkwardness made sense. Peter hadn't been in his right mind and it was probably super embarrassing to think about, so Flash was more than happy to avoid it.

In fact, Flash didn't feel particularly keen on bringing it up himself. Sure, they're little game couldn't go on forever, but Flash was not eager to hear Peter let him down easy, even though he ran through the rejection thousands of times in his own head.

It just hit differently hearing it out loud.

Thus, they avoided each other at any means necessary and it was going pretty well until MJ and Harry decided to get involved.

Curse good friends looking out for their other friends' well-being.

"Okay, what's going on between you two," MJ demanded one day during lunch hour, slamming her hand on Flash's very nice, standard issue SHIELD desk where he was at work grading papers. Normally, he might not have minded a distraction, but the look in her eye could upper-cut Galactus and he vainly attempted to hide behind the paper in his hand.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on," Harry said, the faceplate of his armor sliding up to reveal his face. "Peters' been acting strange all week. MJ told me about what happened at the party."

Flash's cheeks pinked but he kept his head bowed, pretending to mull over one of his students' answers in hopes that they wouldn't notice. "What is there to tell? Nothing happened."

The two shared a look, which was never a good sign. It was a doubtful look, meaning they weren't buying into his shit, meaning they weren't going to let him off easy. He wondered if he could make it to the door and out of the building in time to catch a helicopter to the city - hide in the urban jungle for a while and pretend he wasn't avoiding them. It must've shown in his face because MJ shifted her weight, blocking his view of the door, and Harry crossed his arms. The man wasn't necessarily intimidating, but Flash knew the lengths he would go for Peter, and that was more than enough to get his message across.

Who was Flash kidding anyway? He wouldn't make it 5 feet from the desk.

He sighed and put the paper down, "Nothing happened," he finally said, "I just took him home, tucked him in bed, and left."

_Please buy it. Please buy it. Please buy it._

Venom cackled unhelpfully when MJ pursed her lips and leaned over the desk, eyes narrowing in a way that said she was not buying it. Flash tried to keep his expression neutral, but MJ had this strange habit of looking into people's very souls. A few seconds passed and he shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with his pencil.

Whatever she saw in the deepest pits of Flash's soul made her sigh and pulled a chair, similar to Flash's old football coach when he announced that they would not be going to nationals. She looked like she was about to give him bad news or life advice. Maybe both.

"Look," she said, "Peter told me a little about what happened, but he was so drunk I need to get it from you too. Obviously something happened, and don't try to tell me it was nothing. You guys haven't been able to look each other in the eye since the party."

Flash blew out a rough breath, rubbing the back of his neck, "Nothing really _happened,_ okay," he insisted, _"_ Peter just...he just said a lot of things. A lot of...drunk things..."

"Like what?" Harry asked, sitting on the edge of Flash's desk. It creaked under the weight of his armor and he quickly got back to his feet.

"Like...I don't know, just stuff," he sighed, leaning forward on the desk, "Look, he was drunk so I know he didn't mean anything. He was just talking about..." he blushed at the reminder of Peter leaning into his body and running his hands over his biceps. He tried to forget the feeling of his skin, but Venom liked to play it over and over again in his head until it was his own brand of torture, "He just said that he, you know, likes me. _Likes me,_ likes me. And that he, uh...wanted to kiss me," Flash coughed into his fist at this, "And that he wanted me to show him how to get jacked."

MJ rolled her eyes, expression equal parts fond and exasperated, "Of course he did."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Harry laughed.

"But look, I know he didn't mean any of it. He was drunk and he probably wasn't even sure who he was talking to, so I'm not holding it against him. It's just been...kind of awkward, I guess."

MJ and Flash shared another look. It struck Flash as different, like he was missing the main point in his own argument. He scowled, looking between the two, "What?"

"You don't think he meant it?" Harry asked slowly, as if making sure.

Flash shrugged, "Of course not. He'd been drinking Asgardian liquor all night. He was _slammed_. He couldn't walk without falling over his own feet and he wouldn't stop playing with the spikes on my armor. Besides, he was spouting a lot of weird stuff, and I know how much alcohol can...you know, affect people."

Harry looked like he wanted to say something else but MJ held up a hand. She was looking at Flash very carefully now, like he was a particularly hard equation that needed solving.

"I really think you should talk to Pete," she said.

 **We agree,** Venom piped up, rather unhelpfully.

Even the thought made Flash's stomach flutter and he shook his head, "No. Why? What do we need to talk about? We're fine. Peachy-keen."

"You guys can't even look at each other, Flash."

"So..."

"So, you need to talk to him and he needs to talk to you. Do you want things to be awkward between you two all the time?"

Flash shuffled his stack of papers, mumbling quietly, "No. I guess not..."

"I didn't think so. Just talk to him, okay. You'll both feel better."

He gave a flimsy nod, unable to look her in the eye. As an extra incentive she leaned in close and added, "And if you don't, I'm telling Peter about all those self-insert Spider-Man fanfictions you wrote."

Flash's back snapped so straight he felt a pop. "What?" he squeaked.

"Every single one of them, including the _fan art_."

Flash shot to his feet as MJ turned to the door, "I didn't draw those, they were gifted from readers!" he babbled, "Come on MJ, I was 17 you can't hold those against me."

"I won't if you talk to him," she shot over her shoulder.

Harry was looking at Flash wide-eyed, "You wrote Spider-Man fanfiction?"

Flash collapsed back in his chair.

"Do you have links?"

He banged his head on the desk.

* * *

MJ's threat stood true.

She sent him links to those very fanfictions, with a devil emoji and everything, and Flash immediately called Peter. It was tense and awkward, even over the phone, but Peter agreed to the meet-up.

They settled on a favored cafe.

The Silver Spoon had always been a popular hang-out for the Midtown High populace, and it was just as homey and familiar as all the other times he'd gone there as a teenager.

Flash found a corner booth and squeezed inside. Venom was hiding as a black shirt today, but kept trying to peep out of it to get a better look at the place that was highlighted so fondly in Flash's memories. Flash had to keep pushing it out of sight before he was kicked out for being in possession of an alien-like goop thing. They had a no-pets policy and Flash wasn't sure how that translated over to symbiotes.

He ordered himself a coffee while he waited and then a sandwich as an afterthought. Peter was running late, but Flash expected as much. Appreciated it, actually. It gave him time to scramble together something to say for when he did arrive.

15 minutes later, Peter was running in, hair messed, face flushed, and clothes wrinkled. "There was a mugging," he said in explanation as he slid into the booth. Flash raised an eyebrow. "And a break-in. And maybe a very small car chase, but that's beside the point," Peter waved his hand as if to physically brush his excuses to the side, "What did you want to talk about?"

Flash was pretty sure he knew, particularly because Peter was rubbing the pad of his two middle fingers against the palm of his hand. Something he did whenever he was scared or anxious, like he was preparing to throw a web.

"Uh, yeah," Flash said, straightening up. "Yeah, um...we need to talk."

Peter nodded slowly, clicking his tongue, "Okaaaay."

"Okay."

They tapered off into silence.

"So-" Flash started at the same time Peter said, "Well-" and they both stopped, and then laughed.

Thankfully, they were interrupted by the waitress coming back and sliding Flash his orders. He took the coffee but slid the plate over to Peter, who looked down at it in surprise.

"Thought you might be hungry," Flash said, blowing on the steaming liquid in his mug.

" _Thanks_ ," Peter said, happily digging in, "I am."

On the one hand, it made something warm glow in Flash's chest to see Peter smile like that, eyes bright and cheeks flushed pleasantly as he took a bite, but on the other hand, that meant Flash had to get this conversation going now that Peter was busy eating.

Venom squirmed in response to Flash's anxiety and he shifted his butt in his seat, tapping his finger on the table.

"So, we need to talk," he repeated lamely and Peter nodded, bent over the plate so he didn't get crumbs everywhere. "So um, about what happened the other night. You know, when you were...not yourself."

Peter's cheeks pinked at that but he hid it behind a well-timed cough. He swallowed the bite in his mouth, though it looked like it didn't go down easy. "Yeah," he said, "I guess we should talk about that." He looked about as awkward as Flash felt.

Before Peter could go on, Flash sighed. He might as well just rip the bandaid off. "Look," he said, "Don't...don't worry about it, okay. I know you were really drunk and not in your right mind. I know you didn't mean any of it, so we don't need to hang on it, alright. It was just a long, silly night - no hard feelings, I promise. I just...don't want things to be so awkward between us anymore."

It already took him so long to get on the level he was at with Peter right now, he didn't want to land right back on square one after years of making amends for their early rocky relationship.

Peter stared at him in surprise. The words sank in slowly, and a peculiar expression flitted across his face. Flash wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "You didn't think I was being serious?"

Flash shrugged, "I mean, you were pretty slammed. You were saying a lot of weird stuff, and I figured," he shrugged again, more helplessly, and rubbed the back of his neck, "I just kind of figured maybe you were feeling..."

"Horny?" Peter asked at the same time Flash said "Lonely," and Flash quickly took a long sip of his coffee as Peter promptly shoved half of the sandwich in his mouth, wide-eyed and looking mortified.

"Or that," Flash squeaked, and cleared his throat, "But - but don't worry," he added hurriedly, "I'm not going to hold that against you. I mean, we all kind of...it's nothing to be ashamed of or anything...just - I won't hold it against you. It's fine. I blame the alcohol more than you, so..." he trailed off again.

Flash expected Peter to look relieved, or at least happy to get off easy - but instead he looked oddly troubled. His shoulders dropped and his fingers picked at the crust of his sandwich.

"I-" he started, but it tapered off. He shifted in his seat, sitting closer up to the table like he was hyping himself up. Flash sat up straighter, curious now, and maybe even a little eager. Peter was struggling with the words though, his eyes trailed down as he bit at his lip in thought.

Flash tried not to focus too much attention to those lips, but it was a hard feat to do. Especially the way Peter was biting them. He took a long sip of his coffee to distract himself.

"It wasn't just the alcohol," Peter finally blurted, eyes flitting from the table, to Flash, then back to the table. "The things I said, it wasn't the alcohol."

"Oh," Flash blinked, "Did you take something else?" His eyes widened and he clutched the edge of the table, leaning forward, "Did you do drugs?!"

"What?" Peter recoiled, "No. No, I didn't do drugs, that's not what I'm saying."

Flash exhaled in relief. That was good. He never pegged Peter - Spider-Man - as the type to do drugs, and even so, Flash himself has always been averse to them. Couldn't compete in sports if you were drugged out of your mind after all.

Peter swiped the air frantically, as if to get rid of the last few minutes, "Okay, okay, just...no I didn't do that. What I'm saying is," he gestured with both hands, as if trying to point something specific out to Flash, "I...kind of, maybe, sort of...meant what I said."

Flash blinked, "You mean like-"

Peter nodded, though his face was starting to flush red, "Yes...kind of. Um...I was drunk, like _seriously_ drunk, and I'm not denying that. If anything, that was what probably got me to actually get up and admit my - uh - feelings. Yeah, just..." he coughed in his fist, "Liquid courage and all that. MJ said I should just _say_ something, but you can't just SAY something like that, right? I mean, it's weird. N-not that it's weird liking you, I mean it's just weird talking about feelings. Not that people shouldn't talk about their feelings, I just don't have a good track record with these kinds of things, and I'm not really good at this, and I think it's kind of obvious," he laughed nervously, one hand threading through his hair. "Heh, where's a villain attack when you need one, right?"

"Wait, wait, wait-" Flash waved his hands in the air, "Hold on. Let me just...clear it up. You," he pointed at Peter, "like me?" That pesky feeling of hope was creeping into his heart now and it only fluttered faster when Peter nodded. It was like a shrapnel bomb of happiness in his chest, igniting him with a warmth that belonged on toasty winter days in front of a fire.

But there was something else. Something dark and gloomy that took over just as quickly that had Flash's shoulders falling. He looked up at Peter, expression sad, "Why?"

Peter gave him a weird look, "Why what?"

"Why would you like me? That doesn't make any sense. I - this is _me_ we're talking about. Why would you like _me_? You're you."

"And you're you, and me thinks you're pretty neat," Peter clarified, leaning forward on the table. His shoulders fell a little too as a new thought came to him, "I -I mean, if you don't like me back, I get it. Feelings not reciprocated, that's cool That's...that's fine. I don't blame you. It's uh," he leaned back in his chair, suddenly embarrassed. "If you want to stay friends."

"No. No," Flash reached across the table to grab his hand, "That's just it. Our friendship. Even that doesn't make sense to me. I just...I don't understand why. I was...I was horrible to you, and you just...I don't understand how you could have feelings back."

"Feelings back?" Peter repeated, and his eyes lightened, "Wait, so you do like me?" Then the other words registered and his mouth fell open in understanding, "Oh you're talking about..."

"Yeah."

"About all those times you-"

" _Yes_."

"And the swirlies and locker-knocker time?"

Flash covered his face with his hands. "Yes, those."

It was silent for a few seconds and when Flash peaked through his fingers, Peter's expression had softened and he was smiling. He grabbed his backpack, which was plopped on the seat next to him, and stood up. "Come on," he said, throwing a few bills on the table to pay for their food - Flash was surprised he'd remembered his wallet at all - "Let's go for a walk."

Flash took a final guzzle of his coffee and followed him wordlessly. It was nippy outside, the chill of a storm on the horizon, but Venom easily regulated his body temperature to accommodate. Peter huddled in the jacket he'd brought, pulling it tight around him. He gestured with his head, "Come on, I think we need to talk."

"Isn't that what we were doing in there?"

"Yeah, but it's crowded in there and stuffy and I don't like the idea of people eavesdropping. Central Park isn't far from here, plenty of room to openly chat."

Flash couldn't argue with that and followed him down the street. They walked side-by-side, not talking, but it wasn't very awkward either. Flash let himself relax and enjoy the other man's company. Peter was smiling to himself, arms swaying a little even though they were stuffed in his jacket pockets.

Despite the clouds brewing above the building tops, it was a pleasant day. Flash smiled as well, enjoying the cool wind on his face. Being outside, and not cooped inside a cafe, was doing wonders to his nerves - he felt better already, and he wondered if that was why Peter suggested the location change.

They entered the park and followed one of Aunt May's favorite roller-blading trails.

"I wasn't so sure I liked you at first," Peter finally admitted, keeping his eyes on his feet. Flash glanced at him once, but kept his eyes fixed ahead as well.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I was confused, I guess. Thought I just enjoyed how much you admired me - or, well, how much you admired Spider-Man. It was kind of nice to have someone who just...supported me no matter what anyone else said. For the longest time I thought that was the only reason I felt the way I did, and that wasn't very fair to you. To use you as my own personal ego-boost, I mean."

"Oh..." Flash grimaced, looking up at the sky, "But that...wasn't the case?"

Peter smiled, "No, that wasn't the case. I was still super weirded out, though. Like you said, we have a bit of a history. Thought there was something wrong with me for liking the guy who used to bully me."

Flash's shoulders sank next to his heart, "Yeah."

But Peter bumped shoulders with him, his smile kind, "Yeah, but that's when I realized something else. You're not a bully anymore, and I'm not some smartass kid getting shoved in a locker. We're adults now. We've grown past that. We've...changed. Both of us, I think. For the better."

"What did you need to change," Flash scowled, "I was the one shoving you into lockers."

Peter hummed, not exactly disagreeing, but said, "I have my own issues I've grown from. Besides, I wasn't exactly the nicest to you as Spider-Man either. All those times I left you waiting in those lockers? Or brushing you off? Yeah, that was kind of intentional," he winced, "Sorry about that by the way."

Flash shrugged, "Eh, I deserved it." It _had_ hurt his feelings though, waiting there in the dark for Spider-Man to come back for him. But once he realized who it was behind the mask it all sort-of made sense. It was a complicated mix of emotion.

"Sorry about...everything," Flash said, "All those things I did to you in high school. I wasn't exactly the nicest guy."

"But you're a lot better now," Peter said, matter-of-factly, "Just the other day you helped that little ol' granny across the street. And I saw you talking to that little boy after the fire a few weeks back. It was really sweet."

Flash blushed, ducking his head, "It was nothing."

"It was something and it was great. Really great. I just..." Peter looked down at his feet, "I realized how much you've grown. You're not picking on people anymore. You've always been a team-player, and it really shows at the Academy. You're a natural born leader. I just...I guess it's grown on me."

Flash pinked at the praise.

"But," Peter added, "There is something I need to know before we go one. Just so we're all clear here, do you like _me_?"

Flash blinked, "Yes. I thought we covered that."

"No, I mean do you like me as _me_? Or do you like me as Spider-Man?"

That...was a question. It was true Flash had a crush on Spider-Man for the longest time, long before he ever found out Peter and his idol were one in the same. But finding out they _were_ the same person? That had been a shock. It had taken weeks for Flash to come to full terms with it. His feelings had gotten complicated - equal parts awe, guilt, wonder, and shame. To think that he's been picking on his hero for years and never knew.

The line between Peter and Spider-Man was so distinct at first. Something Flash had a hard time seeing side-by-side, but the more time he spent with Peter and Spider-Man, the more those lines blurred together until there was only one picture.

"You," Flash said, "Both of you. You're the same person. I like you as you."

Flash couldn't help but think he'd given the right answer as Peter smiled, looking as though he'd won a million dollars. Right answer or not, that was how he felt. It was no longer _just_ Peter or _just_ Spider-Man. It was both of them. Flash loved joking and spending time with Peter just as much as he loved fighting crime and training with Spider-Man. Maybe if he'd actually tried hanging out with Peter in high school, they could've had this talk a lot sooner.

"And I like you as you," Peter said, his arms swinging a little happier at his sides.

They came to a stop next to a small pond and watched it ripple as the wind picked up. It wasn't bad enough to warrant finding cover, but maybe they should soon. Neither of them had brought an umbrella.

Peter sighed and sat down on one of the benches, watching a small family of ducks gathering together, following their mama back to their nest. Flash sat next to him, wishing he were close enough to feel his warmth. As if reading his mind, Peter inched closer so they're legs were pressed together.

"So, do you wanna try?" Peter asked.

Flash blinked, "Try what?" his eyes went to the water, "Swimming? It's a little cold for that."

Peter rolled his eyes, "No, not swimming, do you want to try...us?" He peeled his eyes away to look at Flash. His fingers wrung together nervously.

"You mean like dating?"

"Yeah. I'm...I'm free Friday night if you wanna catch a movie or something. Or do something else, I-" he ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't know, I'm not the best at this."

Flash leaned forward eagerly, "No, that would be great! I mean...I'd - I'd like that, if you want to."

"I think I want to."

They shared a smile that's interrupted by a crack of lightning that draws both their eyes.

"I guess that's our cue to go," Peter said. Flash stood up, offering his arm. His heart fluttered nervously, Peter only just asked him out, maybe he was acting too forward? Was offering your arm something you do on the actual date? Or should he wait?

Peter didn't seem to mind and nodded his head politely. "Why thank you," he said and took Flash's arm. Venom must've been letting Peter's body heat in again, because Flash feels the warmth of his arm and delights in it. They're about to head out when Peter pulls something out of his backpack.

Flash had been wrong. He had brought an umbrella.

"MJ thought it might rain," Peter shrugged, opening it and holding it above both of their heads "And what can I say?"

"She's usually right," they say at the same time, sharing a smile.

They huddled together under the umbrella as the rain began to pour, but to Flash, it could do nothing to staunch the warmth of Peter Parker's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for you Noone! Hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> :DDD Next chapter will hopefully be out soon


End file.
